Are you noticing that the battery is going down on your phone as you are charging it? Is it because your battery is heating up as a result of using Snapchat and Instagram? If you’re concerned about why this is happening, it is important to understand the underlying causes and to recognize the potential implications. This article will cover the factors and provide information on why it is happening and what you can do about it.
1. Understanding Why Phone Batteries Lose Charge While Charging
What Causes Phone Batteries to Lose Charge?
Phone batteries will always lose some charge when they are being charged, but understanding why this happens can help prevent it. Charge loss typically occurs when a battery is not charged properly, exposed to extreme temperatures, or used improperly.
- Improper Charging: The basic rule of charging a phone properly is to charge it up to 100% and let it drain back down to around 10-20%. This allows the battery to keep its maximum capacity.
- Extreme Temperatures: Extreme temperatures can wreak havoc on a phone battery. Cold temperatures can cause the battery to become brittle, leading to charge loss. Heat, on the other hand, can cause warping, damaging the battery’s capacity.
- Improper Use: Apps and programs that use more power than they need to can decrease the battery life significantly. Furthermore, leaving a device plugged in when it is already fully charged can also reduce battery life.
How to Prevent Phone Batteries From Losing Charge
The best way to prevent phone batteries from losing charge is to adhere to the basic charging and temperature rules. If a phone is charged properly and kept away from extreme temperatures, its battery will stay healthy for a long time. Furthermore, if a phone is used properly, with apps and programs that are optimized for minimal battery use, its charge won’t dip as quickly.
2. Checking If Your Battery Is Hot While Charging
When charging your battery, it’s important to continually check the temperature as things can easily get out of hand if values rise too high. Here are some tips to help keep your charging sessions safe:
- Always keep your charger in a well-ventilated area.
- Be sure to check your charger for potential damage or problems before use.
- Never leave your charger unattended while charging.
- Check your battery temperature periodically.
Monitoring your battery’s temperature is vital while it’s on the charger. Extremely hot temperature readings can cause cell swelling and eventuate in unnecessary damage to your battery. Any temperature above 70°C should be of particular concern.
It’s worth keeping in mind that most lithium-ion batteries are equipped with temperature protection, so there is no need to panic. If any temperature readings exceed levels deemed unsafe, the charger will automatically shut down.
3. Potential Explanations For My Phone Losing Battery While Charging
Overcharging
The battery of a smartphone can become damaged if left plugged in for too long. Charge the phone until the indicator light changes colour, usually from red to green, then disconnect it from the charger. The battery should be charged to 100%, no more than once a day. You should avoid overcharging your phone, as this can reduce the lifetime of the battery.
Faulty cables or chargers
Using a faulty charger or cable can prevent the battery from reaching its full capacity. Most phones come with an appropriate charger or cable, if yours is not working properly, replace it as soon as possible. It is also important to ensure your charger is compatible with the phone’s spec and set up.
Software issues
Sometimes a problem with the software of your smartphone can prevent the battery from charging. The most common cause for this is a malfunctioning app. Check the apps on your phone and make sure that none of them are using too much energy. Additionally, try clearing out the cache memory in your phone’s settings. If this does not work, you may need to reset your phone.
4. Taking Steps to Diagnose and Mitigate the Cause of Your Phone’s Battery Loss
In order to diagnose and mitigate the cause of your phone’s battery loss problem, there are a few steps you should take:
- Check your phone’s settings: The first step is to head to the main settings on your phone and look through the available options. Certain settings, like having the device stay in a high-energy mode for longer periods of time, can be draining on battery resources. Make sure to adjust your device settings accordingly to reduce your phone’s battery consumption.
- Analyze your usage habits: Analyze your usage habits to identify which applications or features may be adding extra strain to your battery. You may find disabling certain features you don’t use and that apply large demands onto your battery are the source of your device’s battery loss issues.
- Clean your phone: Over time, your mobile device can become encumbered by dust, debris, and other particles. This can lead to extra strain being placed on the phone’s battery resources, and reduce its overall charge. Be sure to periodically clean out the charging port and battery contacts with compressed air and a soft cloth.
Beyond analyzing and cleaning your phone, there may be more serious malfunctions present on the device. As a result, it may be necessary to bring in the device for a more thorough inspection and potential repairs. This is especially true if your phone’s battery continues to drain, regardless of adjusting settings, application use and general maintenance habits.
Taking these steps to diagnose and mitigate the cause of battery loss in your device can help you keep your phone running smoothly and efficiently.
5. Tips to Extend Your Phone Battery’s Lifespan
1. Keep an eye on your apps
Monitor which apps are running and how much battery they are consuming. Uninstall any unused or unnecessary apps, or if the apps come with battery-draining features, disable them when you don’t need them. Try to keep the number of running apps to a minimum.
2. Limit your screen brightness
By decreasing the brightness of your phone’s screen, you can save a significant amount of battery life. To do this, pull down from the top of the screen to open the settings, and slide the brightness bar to whatever level you need.
3. Extend your battery’s charge cycle
The battery naturally depletes the more you use it. To keep it healthy, fully charge the battery and then discharge it to around 20%, but no lower than 10%. Avoid leaving your battery in a state of full discharge for long periods of time, like overnight. Use the following list of tips to help:
- Avoid leaving your phone plugged in after it’s fully charged.
- Don’t let your phone’s battery drop to 0%.
- Charge your phone in increments, when possible.
- Only charge your phone when it’s below 50%.
Overall, it is important to understand why your battery is decreasing as the phone is charging. Factors such as device usage, charger type and battery health can all be possible causes of this. English electricians recommend referring to product websites for guidelines on how to keep your device powered effectively.